Πνευμονολογικό Ιατρείο Κ. Ν. Μανάρα

23/10/2025

What is the pneumococcal vaccine, and who needs it?

This JAMA Internal Medicine Patient Page describes how the pneumococcal pneumonia vaccine works, who should get it, and its benefits and side effects.

https://ja.ma/474XNw0

14/10/2025

Stepwise Management of Spontaneous Pneumothorax

1. Do a PA Chest X-ray (CXR)
• If you suspect pneumothorax, take a posteroanterior (PA) chest X-ray to confirm.
2. Assess the degree of breathlessness
• Ask about symptoms and examine the patient.
• How breathless the patient is will guide how you manage them.
3. Differentiate between types of pneumothorax
• Primary (PSP): occurs in healthy lungs.
• Secondary (SSP): occurs in people with existing lung disease and is usually more severe.

Emergency Note: Tension Pneumothorax
• This is a medical emergency — diagnosis is clinical (don’t wait for a CXR).
• Immediate treatment:
Insert a large-bore needle (cannula) into the 2nd intercostal space at the midclavicular line to release trapped air.
• After emergency decompression, insert a chest drain to prevent recurrence.

06/10/2025

Long COVID brain fog is real - and now,
we know what's causing it.
A breakthrough brain scan reveals the science behind the symptoms.
Scientists in Japan have identified a biological cause behind the cognitive "brain fog" experienced by many Long COVID patients—a breakthrough that could lead to reliable diagnosis and treatment.
A team at Yokohama City University used a cutting-edge brain imaging method to detect abnormal increases in AMPA receptors (AMPARs), molecules essential for learning and memory, in people suffering from Long COVID. These elevated receptor levels, observed using [11CJK-2 PET imaging, were closely linked to the severity of cognitive symptoms and inflammation markers, offering the first clear molecular explanation for the condition.
The findings, published in Brain Communications, show that AMPAR density not only tracks with brain fog severity but also enables near-perfect distinction between affected and healthy individuals-100% sensitivity and 91% specificity. This offers promise for both diagnostic tools and treatments, such as drugs that suppress AMPAR activity. With brain fog affecting over 80% of Long COVID sufferers globally, this research marks a significant step toward validating the condition and accelerating efforts to address it with targeted therapies.

04/10/2025

Learn about genetic COPD and order a free AlphaID At Home Saliva Collection Kit to find out your risk for genetic COPD, or alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD).

04/10/2025

Common antibiotics (like doxycycline and minocycline), antidepressants, and diuretics may increase the risk of skin hyperpigmentation, according to a large real-world data analysis. The risk was notably higher for tetracyclines (≈2-fold) and modest for hydrochlorothiazide. http://ms.spr.ly/6184saCty

03/10/2025

01/10/2025

3 types of hunger explained "simply"

Hunger isn’t just about an empty stomach. Your brain receives signals from body composition, hormones, emotions, and even gut microbes. Here’s how the three major types work:

1️⃣ Homeostatic Hunger (Energy Balance Hunger)
This is your body’s “fuel gauge.” It rises and falls based on energy needs and metabolic signals.
What drives it: Ghrelin from the stomach stimulates hunger; leptin from fat cells and incretin hormones (GLP-1, PYY, CCK) reduce it.

What it does: Ensures your intake matches your energy needs for exercise, growth, and tissue repair.

🟢 Example: After a long run, homeostatic hunger pushes you to replace calories and glycogen.

2️⃣ Hedonic Hunger (Reward-Driven Hunger)
This is your “food pleasure” system. It’s triggered by sight, smell, habits, and emotions, not by actual energy needs.
What drives it: Brain reward circuits activated by highly palatable foods (sugar, fat, salt).

What it does: Encourages eating even when you’re not truly hungry. Weak satiety signals make it harder to stop.

🟢 Example: Craving dessert after dinner even though you’re full.

3️⃣ Microbiota-Driven Hunger (Gut Microbe Hunger)
Your gut bacteria also shape hunger signals by producing metabolites that influence hormones and the brain.

What drives it: Microbes generate compounds that mimic hunger or satiety signals, affect insulin, and modulate ghrelin, GLP-1, and PYY.

What it does: Links gut health to appetite regulation and metabolic control.

🟢 Example: Certain bacterial imbalances may increase cravings or weaken satiety, nudging overeating.

28/09/2025

🚨Radiation doses of common radiological procedures 🩻 ☢️

🔴Transatlantic flight: 0.2mSv
🔴Average background radiation: 3mSv/yr

25/09/2025

IMPORTANT CHEST PATHOLOGY IN ONE SHOT